


Passive

by ChaoticRice



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Child Abuse, Dysfunctional Family, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2020-05-21
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:46:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24308431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChaoticRice/pseuds/ChaoticRice
Summary: Iroh cannot bring himself to watch Ozai burn his only son.
Comments: 7
Kudos: 81





	Passive

Iroh cannot bring himself to watch Ozai burn his only son.

He looks away, but he can still feel the searing heat of the flames, hear Zuko’s desperate cry in pain, and smell the melting flesh. This was not a true Agni Kai, but a public humiliation. Zuko’s face will be scarred forever, but even worse, he will be traumatized, unable to face his father without fear lingering in every moment between them. He will be afraid to trust, afraid to love; Iroh cannot stand by and watch this happen to his beloved nephew.

When Iroh next sees Ozai, he is standing in the grass of the palace courtyard, his eyes staring off in thought, paying no mind to the turtleducks as they dip their faces into the water of the pond. Iroh stands beside his brother at a distance.

“You are ungrateful,” Iroh scolds his younger brother, as he did when they were children. His fire within seethes, and he so much wishes to lash out at Ozai, to let that fire explode into fury, but he knows that will be of no help to anyone. Instead, he takes a deep breath, and on the exhale he lets go of his anger, and the flames subside.

“ _I_ am ungrateful?” Ozai’s tone is smug, as though he had the upper hand in a fight. “You were the first-born son. You had the glory of war, and the throne just waiting for you, and you squandered it.”

“And the world has given you a beautiful son who wants nothing more than your love, yet you burn and disown him.”

Ozai narrows his eyes with a disgusted frown as though he had drunk cold, bitter tea. “Well if you want a son so badly, you can have my scraps,” he hissed, “I am sending Zuko on a never-ending mission to find the Avatar, and you are going with him.” A sinister smile curved his lips. “After all, you’ve had nothing better to do since I lifted all the burdens father had placed upon you.”

Iroh knows well this is a punishment, yet there is a sense of hope that ignites within. This is an opportunity, he realizes, to make amends for his past mistakes. Zuko will be away from his father’s influence, and Iroh can guide him in the right direction… the direction Iroh wished someone had pointed himself many years ago. A direction if had he gone, he never would have attempted to lay siege to Ba Sing Se, and Lu Ten would still be alive.

If it is Ozai’s wish to see Iroh protest, Iroh would not grant it. Instead, he salutes Ozai, his face calm as steel as he bows his head. “I am grateful for this opportunity, brother.”

Ozai’s smile is victorious, as though he had won the war himself, and yet Iroh knows who the true victor is. He has been given the power to end this cycle of violence, and he will take it.

Iroh saunters out of the courtyard breathing deeply, his soul at peace for the first time since his son’s death.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Please leave a kudo and a comment if you enjoyed! I am always up for talking about Avatar!
> 
> This fic was named after the song "Passive" by A Perfect Circle


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